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Vault installation for multi-continent collaboration

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Message 1 of 7
saoodka
1993 Views, 6 Replies

Vault installation for multi-continent collaboration

Hi,

 

We are planning to use Vault for collaborating between three teams located in different continents. I have extracted following possibilities for the same:

1.    Vault Server installed on machines with in LANs and synced using Replication. Unfortunately, it is not recommended for multiple continents (Re: Vault Advanced Config Guide, Pg 56). However, it is just a matter of performance and need to be tested as per method described in the document. It is a solution with increasing complexity with increasing numbers of collaborating sites. Performance in this solution can be improved by the use of Riverbed WAN optimization technology http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/strategies_to_speed_collaboration_and_data_management_using_va...)

2.    Vault Server hosted on third party servers. This is my personal proposal. Directly available to any number of sites without the need of any additional technology. However, performance will be constrained by the quality of the Internet connectivity.

3.    Vault Server installed only at one location and other sites to be allowed access using Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN). Performance will be satisfactory for the server side location but may be slow for remote sites.

4.    Using Vault Collaboration and Professional 2012 Multisite Replication. No idea if it is recommended for multi-continent deployment.

 

Just wondering if someone has already had experience with any of these method and can share pros and cons with me!!

6 REPLIES 6
Message 2 of 7
saoodka
in reply to: saoodka

I have lately came to know that " It is recommended that the replication environments are not distributed across multiple continents."

 

Re: Multisite Replication - Vault Collaboration and Professional http://wikihelp.autodesk.com/Vault/enu/2012/Help/03._Installation_and_Configuration/006Vault_Impleme...)

 

If I simplify my question, I would like to ask: "What is the best possible architecture for multi-continent collaboration through Vault?" Please guide me if anybody has had experience with it.

Message 3 of 7
saoodka
in reply to: saoodka

Nobody seems to have answer to my question. Let me further simplify it.

 

What is the best possible way of cross-continent collaboration using Vault?

Message 4 of 7
jparks_79
in reply to: saoodka

Hi Saooka,

 

I just ran across your post. I have recently led a multi continent implementation of vault professional (Us, Ausitria, India, China) All these sites are full replicated (Database and filestaore).

 

Basically the implementation was fairly simple. We have a dedicated 10mb vpn tunnel from the US to Europe which gives a connection with a latency of around 180 - 200 ms between most sites. We did not use riverbed, but i can see that It could be a huge help during the data migration. Our environment and design process's doesn't require a large amount of collaboration from site to site. And our 3D designs are simple and small, but high frequency of new designs (300-500 new disgns a day).

 

We host all the servers at our offices.

 

Here is what I would recomend;

 

 Contact Autodesk consulting to help you setup your sql servers. It isn't complicated, but you don't want to make any  mistakes. They could probably walk you through the setup in a couple days.

 

Take a look at the SQL licensing options, depending on your userbase, you could save a TON of money buy purchasing SQL user cals rather than paying per processor.

 

During your initial data load, ship your servers to one central location (we did not do this and paid the price). Then upload your cad files from the publisher site. Ship your servers back and have them plugged back into the network within 2 weeks.

 

How many files are you planning to migrate per site? How many sites? Where are they located? What is your plan for design collaboration? Do you have multiple teams working on the same design everywhere at the sametime? Or do you just have teams utilizing designs from other offices?

 

Jeremy

 

 

Message 5 of 7
saoodka
in reply to: jparks_79

Thanks for a sound reply, Jeremy.

 

We have ample time (6 months) to initially transfer over 1250 projects (360,000 files and ~100 GB), so we can go gradually.

 

The two design sites are located in North America and South Asia with active collaboration. Daily, we will be replicating, approximately, 2 GB data both ways between the two on-site servers.

 

Thanks for letting me know about VPN. I will explore it. Any idea about the cost?

 

How much bandwidth should we look for VPN?

 

What replication method should we utilize? 

 

The third site located in China will be just reading the drawings. What method should we utilize for this purpose. Attached is the diagram

 

 

Jeremy

Message 6 of 7
jparks_79
in reply to: saoodka

Hi saoodka ,

 

Unfortunately I do not work in the IT office, So I do not know the logistics and pricing to setup such a VPN backbone. I am certain it carries a decent price to setup, as well as a maintence cost. If the two offices you plan to implement are already collaborating, chances are your IT may have already setup such a network infrastructure.

 

I would definately recomend giving the WAN accelerator a try. I don't know the cost, but if it is reasonable (5000-8000 usd), i think you should definately at least see if riverbed will give you a trial period. (I would be interested in hearing actual experience from an end user rather than someone trying to sell it)

 

There are a couple schemes you can choose from when it comes to replication. You can have a fully replicated site (site contains database and filestore..everything is fast), or just a file store replicated site(Files stored on a local sever, but all searches and queries go to a sql server somewhere else...only file download and upload is fast. searches could be really slow). Which one you choose really just comes down to price and performance(full replication server costs more because of the SQL licenses). If you have a team that is constantly checking in and checking out files from the vault, you should have a full replicated server in the building. If your team is only pulling files out 2-3 times a week, then you probably could live with just a replicated file store. I think you already know which of these schemas you plan to use for the 2 main sites(full?). For the remote china site, you will just need to perform some tests. You have two main areas you need to think about. First is the database traffic, second is the file traffic. I would setup a vanilla vault somewhere at your south asia office, and give someone in your china office the connection details. Have them perform some searches and downloads. This should give you a good idea how the replicated environment would work for them if they did not have anything local.

 

In addition to the replication schema, you have replication frequency settings. here you can specify which folders are to replicate. Also, you can specify the folders to replicate every (N) minutes or to replicate at a specific time on specific days of the week.

 

Database replicates, I think, every minute.

 

What you need to do is start testing your current network. Start by trying to transfer a 1Mb file to your asian office. See how long it takes. With that test , you should be able to calculate how long it would take to replicate your daily work across the pond. (If 1 MB/1 minute and you have 2000 MB per day...)You should also start to ping a known server in your asian office from your office computer. See what the latency is currently. If you have latency like 600-1000 ms, i don't think you can use full replication. Some changes would nee to be made.

 

 

 

I hope this helps,

Regards,

Jeremy

Message 7 of 7
saoodka
in reply to: jparks_79

Hi Jeremy,

 

Thank you very much for very relevant guidelines. I will try them as soon as I get my Vault server machine.

 

Best regards,

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